


Let's Start Over

by misterhibiscus



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Humor, Fix-It, Gen, Multi, Original Character(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:08:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22659868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misterhibiscus/pseuds/misterhibiscus
Summary: After their final battle is fought, Naruto and Sasuke find themselves in a world which is equal parts familiar and surreal.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino, Uchiha Itachi/Yakushi Kabuto, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 16
Kudos: 35





	1. Disbelief

“Nii-chan?” a small voice asked.

Naruto groaned, pulling the blankets up over his head.

“Nii-chan, it’s time to get up!” The voice was louder and more insistent this time.

“Guh?” Naruto blinked his eyes open blearily, voice still thick with sleep.

“Nii-chan, _**wake up!”**_

 _Smack!_ A pillow abruptly collided with Naruto’s head, waking him fully.

A young, red-headed girl stood before him, a second pillow ready to be thrown at a moment’s notice. He’d never seen her before, but there was something familiar about her bright, blue eyes and the light markings on her cheeks.

Naruto sat up abruptly. _What the hell is going in?!_

“It’s about time!” the little girl harrumphed, her pigtails flopping indignantly. “Mom and Dad are making us breakfast, so hurry up and get dressed!”

With that, she tossed the second pillow onto the floor, and turned and left the room.

Immediately, Naruto climbed out of bed and performed the seal for dispelling genjutsu. When his fifth attempt still had no effect, he realized he was in bigger trouble than he’d thought. Clearly there was nothing real about this situation - a little sister waking him up, his _parents_ cooking breakfast - but the jutsu was too strong for him to break. With his heart beating wildly in his chest, he decided that he had no choice but to release the Kyuubi.

To his horror, Naruto found that he could find no trace of the nine tails’ chakra anywhere inside himself. It was as if it simply _wasn’t there._

Naruto closed his eyes, trying desperately to compose himself. _Think, think! What’s the last thing you remember?!_

Sasuke.

He and Sasuke had been in a fight to the death. Against all odds, the Allied Shinobi Forces had defeated Madara and the Goddess - effectively saving the world - yet Sasuke had chosen to challenge him. Naruto had given it his all, knowing that in the end, only one of them could survive.

Or at least, that’s what he’d thought. The last thing he’d have expected was to wake up in Konoha, unharmed, and in a bedroom he had no memory of decorating - but which clearly reflected his taste. And to a little girl - a sister, who looked so much like him - telling him to get dressed.

If this was a genjutsu, who had cast it? Only Sasuke would have had the power to do so, but how could he have spared the energy, as exhausted as he’d already been? None of it made any sense.

“You’re not listening!” the little girl chided, as she poked her head into Naruto’s bedroom. “You need to get dressed _now._ Mom and Dad are waiting!”

“Okay, okay!” Naruto insisted, shooing her away and closing the door. The thought of interacting with an illusion of his parents had him cringing, but he also knew it’d be best if he played along. Perhaps if he pretended to succumb, the jutsu’s caster would let their guard down, and Naruto could successfully release himself.

For now, he simply had to get dressed and join his “family” downstairs, as if this were all normal. With trepidation and a heavy heart, Naruto changed into a clean set of clothes, and braced himself for what was about to come.

\------

The first thing Sasuke noticed was that he was in bed, warm and comfortable and seemingly uninjured.

The second thing he noticed was Itachi, standing in an open doorway.

“Are you going to sleep all day?” he asked, a playful smile on his face.

“...He did it, didn’t he?” Sasuke replied, after a moment of stunned silence. “Naruto killed me.”

Itachi tilted his head in confusion. “What are you going on about?’

“This is the afterlife, isn’t it?”

Itachi looked down at his younger brother like he’d sprouted a second head. “I just came to wake you up, otouto. It’s not like you to sleep this late.”

Sasuke frowned. There was no way this scenario could possibly be taking place, but it didn’t appear to be the afterlife. In fact, it all seemed so… mundane.

Itachi shook his head, a look of amused incredulity on his face. “You must’ve had one weird dream, Sasuke-kun! Anyway, it’s time to get up.”

With that he left the room, gently shutting the door behind him.

 _If I’m not dead,_ Sasuke thought to himself, _Then this must be an illusion._

He attempted to release the jutsu, but found that none of his seals took effect. No matter how many times Sasuke tried, he was still in his childhood bedroom, dressed in pajamas, and having just had a casual conversation with his _very much alive_ brother.

But he knew that none of it could be real.

With a resigned sigh, Sasuke hauled himself out of bed, already contemplating his next move.

_If I play along, I might be able to find a weakness in the jutsu._

\------

“How’s school been going, Odango-chan?” Minato asked as his family gathered around the breakfast table.

“It’s okay, Daddy,” Odango said as she piled food onto her plate. “Iruka-sensei gave me detention, though.” She glanced meaningfully at her father, using only her most innocent and doe-eyed expression.

Minato chuckled. “Well, if you didn’t set off smoke bombs in the middle of class, maybe that wouldn’t happen!”

Odango pouted, her charm having clearly failed. “It wasn’t me, I swear!”

“Now now,” Kushina interjected, “Are you really going to sit there and _lie_ to your father?”

“...No, Mommy,” Odango relented, fidgeting in her seat awkwardly. Then she abruptly set her sights on Naruto. “Nii-chan said that the Hokage can excuse people from detention!”

At his parents’ scowls, Naruto did his best to look the part of mischievous older brother. “Yeah, but I said you’d have to convince Dad of your innocence first!”

Kushina glared at her two children, but there was an amused smile tugging at her lips all the same. “What am I going to do with you two?”

“Hey, at least smoke isn’t as bad as frogs,” Minato said with a grin. “I think it took you a _week_ to clear them all out of the Academy, right Naruto?”

They all laughed.

For what had to be the hundredth time already, Naruto found himself wishing that this wasn’t a jutsu. This domesticity, this nonchalance, this love - this _family._ His heart ached, even as he pretended to shout at his sister for stealing a piece of food from his plate.

_Please, can’t this all just be real?_

\------

Stepping into the kitchen of his childhood home felt like a Herculean task. Sasuke did his best to appear calm and uninterested, but his senses were on high-alert all the same.

Mikoto greeted her son cheerfully, as expected. “Good morning, my love! It’s not like you to sleep in.” A look of concern crossed her face. “Are you feeling well?”

Sasuke swallowed, doing his best to repress the emotions which had suddenly swelled up inside him.

 _I’ve missed you so much,_ was what he wanted to say. _It’s so good to see you, even though this is only an illusion._

_I love you, Mom._

“I’m fine, Mom,” he finally managed to choke out. “But thank you for asking.”

Mikoto smiled at him fondly. While it was clear to Sasuke that she could tell something was off, it seemed she had elected to save the matter for later. “Of course, dear! What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t ask?”

“We saved you a plate,” Fugaku gruffed, from where he sat at the table reading a newspaper. “It’s in the fridge.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Sasuke said, although this was much less difficult for him to voice. After all, he’d had plenty of experience growing up with how he was expected to address his father - for better or for worse.

Seemingly appeased by all that had transpired, Mikoto excused herself from the kitchen to attend to some of the day’s chores.

Noting that it seemed as if Itachi had already left for the day, Sasuke saw no point in sticking around any longer. Foregoing breakfast entirely, he made no move towards the fridge. Instead, he chose to wait until he was certain that his father was immersed in his newspaper, before wordlessly vacating the kitchen altogether.

As Sasuke pulled on his sandals and stepped onto the front porch of his home, he could only hope that some answers regarding this genjutsu would be forthcoming.

_I’m not sure how much more of this “family reunion” I can take._


	2. Curiosity

After finishing breakfast and saying goodbye to his parents - plus that brat of a little sister, Odango - Naruto decided to walk into town. With any luck, there would be some answers waiting for him there.

As he tread along the dirt path towards Konoha’s center, a sudden thought entered his mind.

 _It’s possible that I’m not alone,_ Naruto realized. _Of course my family isn’t real,_ his head drooped sadly at the reminder, _But maybe there are others who are trapped here. And maybe if I ask the right questions, I can find them!_

As if on cue, he spotted Sakura bounding down the road towards him.

“Good morning, Naruto-kun!” she said cheerfully, a broad smile lighting up her face.

It was strange, to say the least, to see Sakura in such good spirits. Naruto had almost forgotten that the pink-haired kunoichi could look so happy and carefree. After all, the war had really taken a toll on her. _I mean, it took a toll on **all** of us..._

“Err, good morning, Sakura-chan,” Naruto began awkwardly, clearing his throat. He then leaned in towards her and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Do you remember anything about, y’know, the _fight?_ About _Sasuke?”_

Sakura’s lips drew into a frown, and a look of concern passed over her face.

At this response, Naruto jumped for joy internally. _She’s been caught in the jutsu too! Sakura-chan’s a genius, so there’s no way we won’t be able to get out of here!_

“You got into a fight with Sasuke-kun?” the young medi-nin asked. “I thought things were going really well between you two.” She smiled wistfully. “You’ve always seemed like the perfect couple.”

Of all the things in the world that Naruto had braced himself to hear, this certainly wasn’t one of them.

 _ **“Whaaat?!?!”**_ he shrieked. “Sasuke - and _me?!_ \- a _**couple?!”**_

Sakura chuckled and shook her head. “Very funny, Naruto. Like I haven’t heard _that_ one before.”

The orange-clad ninja simply stood before her in stunned silence. _What am I even supposed to say?!_

“Good morning, you two!” a voice rang out from further down the road.

Both parties looked up to see Ino energetically running towards them.

“Ino!” Sakura cried out, her face lighting up with happiness. “You’re back from your mission!”

“I am!” Ino affirmed, racing up to Sakura and throwing her arms around the other girl. “I missed you, baby,” she spoke softly against Sakura’s neck, as the two held each other close.

Naruto’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. _Guess whoever’s casting this jutsu must be really into playing matchmaker._

“Hey, Naruto!” Ino suddenly said. “Why don’t we all go hang out at your place? Maybe we can even talk your mom into making us lunch later.”

“Umm, sure!” Naruto replied, although the idea of heading back “home” was not a pleasant one at all. “I don’t see why not.”

Both girls cheered and immediately made their way down the path Naruto had come from. With a resigned sigh, he followed behind the happy couple, wondering what other chaos this genjutsu was bound to bring.

\------

Most of Sasuke’s morning transpired uneventfully. Strolling throughout Konoha, he could find no one who seemed to think that anything was out of the ordinary. From what he could gather, the world that he was currently inhabiting - _It’s all an illusion,_ Sasuke reminded himself forcefully - was one in which there were several major deviations from the world he’d grown up in.

First and foremost, the Uchiha Massacre had never occurred. His entire family was alive and well, and there seemed to be hardly any social stigma surrounding their presence. Specifically, Sasuke noted that there were Uchihas living and working outside of the Compound, as well as those who were clearly in relationships with non-Uchihas.

Furthermore, the Village itself seemed more prosperous than ever. What Sasuke overheard from some of the more talkative villagers was that Konoha - and the world around it - was experiencing a time of peace and prosperity like no other. Also, it all seemed to trace back to Namikaze Minato becoming the Fourth Hokage - a title which he currently held.

 _Naruto,_ Sasuke thought, the name filling him with emotions he couldn’t describe.

It wasn’t outside the realm of possibility that an otherworldly occurrence had taken place during their fight - or that an unknown enemy using unimaginably strong genjutsu had targeted them while they were distracted.

_Either way, there’s a good chance that Naruto may be trapped in this with me._

Realizing that he should probably track down the orange-clad nuisance, Sasuke set out for where he’d been told the Fourth Hokage’s home was.

The route he took passed a small park, which he never recalled Konoha having before. It was lovely, however - full of beautiful flowers and foliage, plus several elegant benches and a gorgeous fountain for a centerpiece.

At present, the park did not appear to have any visitors. _Maybe it’s more popular in the evening,_ Sasuke thought, to which his mind supplied, _It’s probably a common spot for first dates._ Sasuke rolled his eyes at the cliché sentiment.

However, just as he was about to pass the park entirely, he noticed that there were two figures standing in the corner, mostly obscured by plants.

When it dawned on him who these two people were, Sasuke couldn’t believe his eyes.

There in the bushes stood his older brother, sharing a kiss with none other than **_Yakushi Kabuto._**

Blinded by momentary rage, Sasuke surged forward in an attempt to attack Kabuto. But Itachi - prodigy that he is - was able to intercept the blow, and sent Sasuke flying onto the gravel path by the fountain.

 _”What the fuck?!”_ Sasuke hissed, clambering to his feet and brushing gravel off his clothing.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Itachi warned, emerging from the bushes with a sheepish Kabuto in tow.

It took Sasuke a second to process the situation, but he soon realized that his brother had never been in danger at all. Kabuto’s chakra signature didn’t set off any alarm bells, and having lived with the man for several years, Sasuke knew exactly what that looked like. From what he could tell, Kabuto was simply a well-intentioned shinobi who was mortified at having been caught sneaking a kiss.

Itachi, on the other hand, was just barely holding back the fury he felt towards his younger brother - which made Sasuke wince.

“I- I’m sorry,” he stuttered out as an apology. “I thought you were… someone else.” He inclined his head towards Kabuto.

“It’s all right, Sasuke-kun,” Kabuto interjected before Itachi had a chance to speak. “But obviously since your brother and I haven’t been open about our relationship yet, do you think you can help us keep it that way? We’d really appreciate it.”

Itachi’s tension visibly eased as Kabuto placed a hand on the elder Uchiha’s back, rubbing it in comforting circles.

“You put it much better than I could have,” Itachi finally said. “Considering I’m a little preoccupied with how I’m going to _kick my brother’s ass_ the next time I see him.” He shot a knowing glance at his younger brother that suggested he meant business.

Sasuke nodded - albeit somewhat nervously - and took this as his cue to leave. “Sorry to bother you two!” he added as he hastily made his retreat.

Sasuke made sure not to slow his pace until he finally reached the Hokage’s residence. Once there, he stopped for a moment to catch his breath, before making his way over to the door.

Before the dark-haired shinobi had a chance to knock, the door swung open and he was greeted by a familiar, pink-haired figure.

“Hey Sasuke-kun,” Sakura chirped. “I saw you coming up the path.”

Sasuke nodded silently in response.

“Naruto, Ino and I are having lunch inside. You should join us!” Then, with a wink, she added, “Of course, Ino and I can leave you boys alone afterwards.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sasuke asked, his tone serious despite his growing fear that he knew exactly what she meant.

Sakura just laughed and ushered for him to come inside, which he begrudgingly did.

After leaving his shoes by the door, Sasuke followed his former teammate into the Hokage’s living room. A small, red-headed girl was seated on the carpet, playing with some plastic dolls. She looked up at Sasuke and stuck her tongue out, but it was more of a playful gesture than anything else.

_As if she’s greeted me this way before._

From there they passed into the dining room, where Ino and Naruto were seated, eating sandwiches.

Naruto looked up from his plate and his eyes immediately connected with Sasuke’s. The two stood in wordless silence for a moment, before Sasuke sat down at the table beside Ino.

“What, you’re not gonna sit next to your boyfriend?” Ino teased, pretending to push him out of his seat.

“It’s all right!” Sakura quipped cheerfully, “I’ll just sit here!” With that she promptly sat on Ino’s lap, swinging her body sideways to wrap her arms around Ino’s neck.

The two girls giggled heartily at this before becoming thoroughly distracted by their new seating arrangement - and each other’s lips.

Naruto and Sasuke again made eye contact, before Naruto jerked his head towards the adjoining kitchen.

Sasuke nodded in silent understanding, and together the two wordlessly rose and entered the kitchen alone.

“Sasuke…” Naruto began, before he trailed off, seemingly unsure of what to say.

“Naruto,” his rival replied. Now that they were both together, neither seemed entirely certain of how to proceed.

Eventually, it was Naruto who broke the silence.

“Do you know who that girl out in the living room is?”

Sasuke shook his head, which made Naruto’s eyes light up. However, the blonde did his best to try to keep the rest of his expression neutral as he continued the conversation.

“That’s Odango... my little sister,” he said softly, as tears began to fill his eyes. "She's cute, but devious," he added, forcing a laugh.

Sasuke couldn’t help but smile. Although it was possible that this was all part of the genjutsu as well, he couldn’t help but feel as if this was the _real_ Naruto he was speaking to. One who would become so openly emotional over being reunited with his family - and meeting family members who hadn’t even had a chance to exist before.

“I hope you’re being a good brother to her so far,” the Uchiha replied with an affirming nod.

Naruto sucked in a sharp breath before promptly launching himself forward into Sasuke’s arms. “Oh, thank God. You’re here too!”

Caught off guard, Sasuke suddenly found himself with his arms around Naruto in order to keep them both from toppling over. “Idiot!” he said, although the word carried far more fondness than malice.

Naruto chuckled, but made no effort to pull away from the other ninja. “It’s really good to see you.”

For once, Sasuke agreed.

 _But… How the hell did we get here?!_ both boys thought to themselves. _And how do we get home?_


End file.
